> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://sending-network.gitbook.io/sending.network/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://sending-network.gitbook.io/sending.network/edge-node/vps-setup-guide/google-cloud-platform-gcp.md).

# Google Cloud Platform (GCP)

Welcome to the SendingNetwork Testnet Mining tutorial! This guide is designed for both developers and non-developers interested in running a relay node on the SendingNetwork. We'll walk you through setting up a Virtual Private Server (VPS) on Google Cloud Platform (GCP), installing Ubuntu, and running a script that boosts up our node with a few commands. Don't worry if you have no coding experience; we'll keep things simple and straightforward.

### Step 1: Create a Google Cloud Platform Account

1. Go to the [Google Cloud Platform website](https://cloud.google.com/).
2. Click on the "Get started for free" button.
3. Sign in with your Google account or create a new one.
4. Follow the on-screen instructions to set up your GCP account. You might need to provide billing information, but GCP offers a free trial with $300 credit.

### Step 2: Create a New Project

1. Once logged in, go to the GCP Console.
2. At the top of the page, next to "Google Cloud Platform," you'll see a dropdown. Click on it and select "New Project."<br>

   <figure><img src="/files/78urlw5rT3pzBGIVG8dc" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>
3. Enter a project name and click "Create."

### Step 3: Set Up a Virtual Private Server (VPS)

1. In the GCP Console, click on the three horizontal lines in the left upper corner of the screen, then select "Compute Engine" > "VM instances."<br>

   <figure><img src="/files/EB5W3FXf84km0N01VEaO" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>
2. Click "Create Instance." If you don't see this button, click "ENABLE" first.

   <figure><img src="/files/VVo2EKBxJwLTUFNZEHwg" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

   <figure><img src="/files/vIug8MBTdYMUJnJV7xnx" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>
3. Name your instance and choose a region.
4. In the machine type section, click on “Custom”. Configure it with 4 vCPUs for “Cores” and 8 GB for “Memory”.<br>

   <figure><img src="/files/qu0PhrjD0mFpflhTcltp" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>
5. In the "Boot disk" section, click "Change," select "Ubuntu," and choose "Ubuntu 20.04 LTS" with X86/64 architecture. Set the disk size to 200 GB.<br>

   <figure><img src="/files/M6jvV1vtzYi9QjTeFJFD" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>
6. Click "Create" to set up your VPS.

### (Edge Node Only) Step 4: Configure the firewall

1. In the GCP Console, click on the three horizontal lines in the left upper corner of the screen, then select "VPC network" > "Firewall".<br>

   <figure><img src="/files/iSJCoOWuPuhZ362Jd0KO" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>
2. Click "CREATE FIREWALL RULE" on the top:<br>

   <figure><img src="/files/pt32vwTfMuH7siigjcCh" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>
3. Enter the rule name in the "Name" field.<br>

   <figure><img src="/files/ysmBQWLBKtVbUJ9O4bha" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>
4. Select "Specified target tags" from the "Target" dropdown menu to ensure the firewall rule is applied only to certain instances within the virtual network. Afterwards, assign a tag to these instances by typing the tag name "relayrule" in the "Target tags" field.
5. Enter "0.0.0.0/0" in the "Source IPv4 ranges" field. Select "Specified protocols and ports," tick the "TCP" option, and specify the ports to open by entering "9085,15858,9702,2112." Click "CREATE" to add the firewall tag.<br>

   <figure><img src="/files/YrENrsCSVhQIckgjgpoA" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>
6. Now go back to the instance page by clicking on the three horizontal lines in the left upper corner of the screen, then select "Compute Engine" > "VM instances."
7. Click on the instance to access its detail page.<br>

   <figure><img src="/files/Y5nztNLuBdrQHUvjFbFd" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>
8. Click the "Edit" button.<br>

   <figure><img src="/files/oKu7evnn0JT5nQO1OuOw" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>
9. Enter the "relayrule" tag you previously created into the "Network tags" field, then click the "SAVE" button to complete the firewall configuration.<br>

   <figure><img src="/files/Tz0Pk1NaWQkESyS5oxfO" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

### Step 5: Access Your VPS

1. Go to the instance page. Click on the "SSH" button to open a terminal window directly in your browser.<br>

   <figure><img src="/files/zeBg7YEqpdDh9doc2VZB" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>
2. You're now connected to your VPS!

### Conclusion

And that's it! You've successfully set up a VPS on Google Cloud Platform, installed Ubuntu 20.04 LTS with neccessary firewall configuration.

{% hint style="info" %}
Should you encounter any issues or have questions, don't hesitate to seek support from the SendingNetwork [community](<https://t.me/SendingNetworkOfficial/1 >).
{% endhint %}